Suspensory.



No. 689,7l8.= Patented Dec. 24, l90l.

W. J. HAY.

'SUSPENSORY.

(.Applicati'dn flld Nov. 0, 18.99.

(NO Model.)

UNITED STATES PATENT .FFICE.

WILLIAM J. HAY, OF OSHKOSH, WISCONSIN.

SUSPENSORY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 689,718, dated December 24, 1901'.

' Application filed November 6,1899. Serial No. 735,873. No model.)

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. HAY, of Oshkosh, in the county of Winnebago and State of Wisconsin, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Suspensories,of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which.

are a part of this specification.

My invention has relation to improvements in suspensories.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved form of suspensory that positively supports the testicles.

A further object is to provide an improved construction whereby danger of irritating or chafing the skin or causing other injuries is avoided and pressure on the urethral duct and on the spermatic cords prevented.

A further object is the provision of an improved construction whereby the suspensory possesses the capabilities of automatically adjusting itself'to the scrotum, body, and legs under all of the various positions and movements of said parts.

A further object resides in the provision of an improved construction which shall dispense entirely with the necessity of rubber or elastics and which j shall also require but a single buckle or fastening in its entire construction; and, furthermore, the invention contemplates as an object the provision of an improved construction which shall be inexpensive of manufacture, capable of ready application and removal, and which shall have features designed to overcome faults which have been found to exist heretofore in this class of. devices.

With the aboveprimary objects in view the invention consists of the devices and parts or their equivalents, as hereinafter more fully set forth. 7

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of my improved device, showing the same properly adjusted as when applied to a person; and Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view centrally through Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 3 indicates the waistband or strap, which has sewed or otherwise suitably secured thereto the depending scrotum-bag 4,, provided with the usual penis-opening 5. The scrotumbag may be formed of any desirable material; but it is preferably and advisably formed of two layers of tarlatan or other suit-able cloth, (indicated by the numerals 6 and 6, respectively,) with an intermediate filling of ab sorbent cotton, sheet-wadding, or cotton-batting. This oontruction secures decidedly the best results in promoting coolness and in preventing inflammation of the scrotum and skin, which latter objection exists more especially in supensories composed of network, wherein there are necessarily formed interstices or small openings in which the skin is caught and pinched orotherwise irritated. The lower edge of the scrotum-bag is preferably gathered or drawn in a manner as to form a bag or supporting-receptacle for the scrotum, as clearly shown, and just above the lower central point of the lower edge of said bag or receptacle is secured a ring 8. Sewed or otherwise suitably secured to the bag or receptacle just above the lower end thereof and then continued up opposite side edges thereof for a desired distance and secured to said side edges is a tape. This tape is secured to the side edges for approximately one-half the length of the side edges of the bag or to the points 9 9. From these points the tape is free, and thereby forms two straps l0 and 10', respectively, extending from opposite side edges of the bag. Strap 10, which has considerably more length than strap 10', is continued upwardly to the waistband 3, thence through a ring 11, secured to said waistband, thence around the leg of the wearer, and thence downwardly into the crotch, where it is passed through the ring 8, secured at the lower end of the scrotum-bag. The shorter strap 10 is simply extended upwardly through another ring 11, secured to the waistband, and its free end isadapted to be tied to the free end of the strap 10, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. The rings 11 and 11, secured to the waistband, are also preferably made of celluloid or bone, as in the case of the ring 8. All of these rings, however, may be made of any other suitable material, or, in fact, the rings may be dispensed with altogether and loops or equivalents substituted therefor.

The waistband near one end is provided with a buckle 12, which is adapted to be engaged by the opposite end of the band to thereby hold said band around the body. This is the only buckle used in the entire construction and is prevented from bearing against the skin, and thereby irritating, if not poisoning, the same, owing to the fact that it is not secured directly at the end of the waisthand, whereby a projecting tongue 13 is formed, against which the buckle bears.

I prefer that the tape which forms the straps 10 10, as well as all other portions of the suspensory, shall be non -elastic, thereby preventing speedy rotting as well as avoiding overstretching,' .which necessarily result where elastics are employed. I wish it understood, however, that I do not restrict myself to a construction wherein non-elastic parts are employed, as I would deem a construction employing elastics, but otherwise similar so far as the arrangement and combination of parts are concerned,within the spirit and scope of my invention. Such construction, however, would be objectionable, as the disadvantages above pointed out would be inherent thereto without any desirable results arising therefrom, inasmuch as my construction provides for the ready and automatic adjustment of the suspensory with all the movements of the legs or body without reference as to whether the parts are elastic or not.

While I prefer to construct the straps 1O 10 from a single tape secured across the lower end of the scrotum-bag and then extended upwardly along opposite sides of the bag for a desired distance,froin which points the tape is left free to thereby form the straps 10 and 10', yet I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to this precise arrangement,as it is obvious that the straps 10 and 10' could be made separate, the only essential requirement being that they be attached at or near opposite side edges of the bag and at a proper distance above the lower end of the bag. The straps 10 and 10 also need not necessarily be of the respective lengths shown in the accompanying drawings, and the knot or tie therefore made at a particular place, as indicated on the drawings, as the lengths of the straps may be such that the tie may be made at any other desirable point. In fact,

the two straps may be of such length as to provide for both of them extending upwardly through their respective rings 11 ll, thence around the legs of the wearer, and both of them finally extended through the ring 8 and tied at any desirable point, without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

From the above description it will be seen that my invention affords an absolute and positive support for the scrotum, that the device is capable of freely and automatically moving with all the movements of the legs and body of the wearer, that my improvement is entirely devoid of rubber or elastics, which, as is well known, are liable to rot and overstretch, that the improvement is most readily adjusted to place and as readily removed, and that when the necessity of visiting a water-closet arises all that is necessary to be done is to untie the cords and lift the bag upwardly, and that the bag, when construeted of the preferred and particular materials set forth, is cool and absorbs all moisture.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. In a suspensory, the combination of a waistband provided with rings, a scrotumbag depending from the waistband between the rings thereof, said band having a ring secured thereto at the lower end thereof, and straps secured to and extending from opposite rear side edges of the bag at intermediate points thereof, said straps adapted to extend upwardly from their points of connection with the bag, and to pass freely through the rings of the waistband, and thence around the legs of the wearer, and one of said straps adapted to pass freely through the ring at the lower end of the scrotum-bag, and the ends of the straps being secured together.

2. In a suspensory, the combination of a waistband provided with rings, a scrotumbag depending from the waistband between the rings thereof, said bag having a ring secured thereto at the lower end thereof, and a strip of material secured across the lower portion of the bag and up opposite rear side edges thereof for a desired distance, the strip of material being of such length as to provide straps extending in opposite directions from the points where the securing of the strip to opposite side edges terminate, both of said straps passing freely through the rings of the waistband, and one of said straps passing freely through the ring of the scrotum-bag.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM J. HAY.

Witnesses:

A. L. MORSELL, ANNA V. FAUST. 

